Charleston's C-141s: End of an era

A ceremony on 10 July, commemorated the closing of the "Bad to the Bone" 16th Airlift Squadron, the sole remaining C-141 squadron at Charleston AFB, South Carolina. This signified the end of an era in AMC.

At it's heyday, Charleston AFB had as many as 58 C-141s parked on its ramp and the aircraft and it's crews had earned the reputation as the "workhorse of Air Mobility Command." The C-141 Starlifter first flew in December 1963 and entered service in the Air Force in 1965. Aircraft number 63-0624 was the first C-141 to arrive at Charleston Air Force Base on 14 August 1965. Later named the "City of Charleston" it's now on display at Charleston's airpark.

The durable jets are being retired because many have reached the limits of their serviceable life of 45,000 flight hours and will eventually be flown to Davis Monthan AFB in Tucson, Ariz. for storage. Jets with less hours will be sent to other C-141 bases such as McChord AFB, Wash. and Altus AFB, Okla. who will continue to fly the venerable airlifter for the next several years until all C-141s are removed from the active duty inventory in 2003.

Although technically the 16th Airlift Squadron won't close until September, the ceremony was moved to July because funding for the C-141 maintenance runs out on June 30th, said Lt Col J. J. Wendling, commander of the 16th Airlift Squadron. "By holding the ceremony in July, we expected to have at least 75 members still in the squadron. Sadly this is a far cry from the 260 personnel who once walked the halls of building 54 and packed the Yonkie auditorium just a few years ago. However, if we held the ceremony in September, only about 15 members from the squadron would be here to participate."

The squadron flew its last training and "real world" operational missions before 30 June, just before the money runs out. However, the base will still have about six C-141s left on the ramp and they will be gradually flown off to other bases or retired to Davis Monthan AFB. The last C-141 flight from the base is scheduled to depart on or about 7 July, where it will be flown to Altus AFB, Okla.

Charleston-based C-l4ls have been involved in virtually every major military contingency, to include DESERT SHIELD and STORM, where C-141s moved the majority of the cargo for our forces and was the first airlifter on the ground. Charleston C-141s saw action during the Vietnam War, the Israeli and Egyptian conflict in 1967 and 1973,the U.S. intervention in Grenada and Panama and the crisis in Kosovo just to name a few.

"From delivering critically needed humanitarian supplies into every corner of the globe, to supporting the transportation requirements of the President, to numerous classified special operations missions we can never discuss performed under the cover of absolute darkness into some of the most austere areas imaginable, the 16th Airlift Squadron has flawlessly executed every mission it's been tasked to accomplish," said Wendling.

At one time, the 16 AS provided the nation's only longrange, rapid-response, special operations low level (SOLL) capability: The squadron provided the backbone of the nation's elite special operations forces. Ever vigilant in sitting continuous 24/7 alert, the 16th routinely responded to short-- notice National Command Authority taskings. The Squad

ron used uniquely qualified aircrews, trained in the use of enhanced night vision equipment and specially modified aircraft. These crews rapidly deployed and inserted special operations ground forces into blacked-out, austere airfields/ drop zones, and extracted those ground forces upon mission completion. SOLL missions are AMC's most demanding and the 16th was the only unit qualified to fly these missions.

The 16th flawlessly performed this complex mission for over 17 years while maintaining the best safety record in the Air Force; surpassing 919,000 mishap-free flying hours. This unique mission was formally transferred to McGuire AFB in April 1999.

The 16 AS lineage goes back to 11 December 1940 when it was activated. The squadron has flown the C-47 from 1941 to1945, C-119 from 1950 to 1951, YC-122 from 1951 to 1955, H-19 in 1952, C-130 from 1969 to 1993. The squadron's lineage moved from Little Rock AFB, Ark. to Charleston AFB on 1 October 1993 when it took on the C-141 as its primary aircraft.

Wendling gives credit for the 16 AS's rich and glorious history to the outstanding dedicated professionals who make the mission happen each and every day. Only about 15 percent of the squadron will be making the transition to the C-17A, others will be either separating, retiring, or moving onto other weapon systems ranging from C-130s at Yokota Air Base, Japan, to NATO AWACS in Geilenkirchen, Germany and everything in between.

"It's going to be a sad day when we furl our squadron flag, not because we're closing a squadron, but because we're disbanding a family. The 16 AS closure may be the end of a chapter, but it also marks the beginning of another. We know we'll run into each other again because once you've been a member of the best airlift squadron in the Air Force, you'll be "Bad to the Bone" forever!" said Wendling.

Although the squadron will be inactivated, the squadron is expected to spring anew in the future and become the fourth C-17 flying squadron when Boeing resumes C-17 deliveries to Charleston in October 2003.

By Lt Col Ed Memi

Public Affairs

Charleston AFB, S. C.

Copyright Superintendent of Documents, Military Airlift Command Sep/Oct 2000
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